Chapter 29

I awoke about an hour before dawn, breathing deeply and totally relaxed and refreshed. A'moth was still sleeping in my arms, but I could sense she was right at the edge of waking up herself. I began to nuzzle her neck and pet her stomach.

"Ah! Good morning Gary..."

I glanced out the tent. It was still dark outside. "Gary... Yeah... I haven't been called Gary in years."

A'moth nodded. "It was the same for me sometimes, over the centuries. You're the first person who knew me as A'moth..." She smiled at me. "Did you get enough sleep?"

I smiled back. "Yep. Ever since I've changed, I only need about four hours a night."

"Really?" A'moth sighed. "You don't know how grateful I am, that you're not angry with me for changing your DNA... without asking your permission first..."

"Hey, it saved my life! I'd be six feet under in a Minnesota forest if I were still human..."

"You're very forgiving..."

"A'moth! I want to be your husband!" I pushed A'moth down and lay on top of her. We played for a while. I think she was surprised by how strong I was. We finally snacked on a light breakfast and broke camp shortly before dawn.

We ran the rest of the way to the wall. The sun came up behind us as we got to the barrier. As I stared up at the height of it, A'moth spent a few minutes making some measurements with a sextant and then sighed. "Gary, I think we made another trip in time."

I was quiet for a moment. "How far?"

"At least nine months. Both the star positions last night and the sun's location are suggesting mid December, maybe a few days before the winter solstice, the best I can measure it... It's probably just after 8 AM Central Time. But I don't know the year..."

I nodded and shrugged. "So what's next? We climb the wall?"

"Are you comfortable doing it? We got Isabelle over in a stretcher that Jim and Cindy built."

I stared for a moment at the ropes ascending the 400-foot wall. "Piece of cake. Let me carry your backpack."

A'moth laughed and kissed me. "Okay! Remember the walls are super slippery. You can push against them, but there's no shear at all." I nodded as I tested the wall with my hands for a moment, and then started to climb.

The climb was uneventful for both of us. I was incredibly curious to see what Antelope Freeway looked like, but I slowed down a bit near the top, not wanting to turn the climb into a race. We were both soon walking around the interior.

"A'moth! This 2009 Marathon! It looks brand new!"" The door was unlocked. I took a look inside, saw the keys in the ignition and activated the dashboard display. "Less than four thousand miles..."

"Yeah... Jim Arnold had the car for just two months before he got trapped here... This place is weird. The corn grows and dies, and there's some kind of ecosystem with the bugs, but most things don't age at all."

"How is that possible?"

A'moth shrugged her shoulders. "Jim said it was Havika's choice, when he created the parameters for the Antelope Freeway dream. The key thing to remember is that this is all an illusion."

I stared at her for a moment. What she was saying about illusions still wasn't making any sense to me. "So... What now?"

"We wait. Jim and Cindy visit here every day at 10 AM. They did it for over eight years, before they met Isabelle and me."

There was some patio furniture in the median, at the exact center of the Freeway. A'moth and I sat there and chatted, continuing to catch up with our lives. About an hour later, probably about 9:30, I blinked in astonishment as a small owl suddenly popped into existence, perched on one of the nearby lounge chairs.

The owl and I locked eyes together for a long moment, and then the owl went ballistic, flapping its wings madly and screeching, hovering about ten feet off the ground. And then it just disappeared. I turned to A'moth. "Uh, Jim or Cindy?"

"I'm not sure. It looked smaller than either of them..."

Isabelle popped into existence a few steps away. "Dad!" she cried, and she ran up and hugged me fiercely. She was exactly as I remembered her, eight years old, and she was sobbing in my arms. I kissed the top of her head and held her close. My tears started to flow too. I had dreamed of this moment for years.

Isabelle finally tore herself away from me and hugged her mother. "Jim and Cindy should be here in a few minutes. I had to wake them up. Mom, it's been over thirteen years. Today's date is December 17, 2032."

Future Interlude VIII: Meeting With The Congress

Aina time: 7:50 AM day 214 of 1473 H.E. (three days after memory integration)

Havika, Mayoni, and Kalea, the three directors of the Blue Spirit Quantum Gravity Labs, sat at the center of a large table facing the gathering members of Congress. Also at the table on both sides of the directors sat the six senior members of their R&D staff. Additional citizens were filling the observation seats along the sides of the Level-7 amphitheater, and the proceedings would also be holocast live across the three planets. The researchers were all looking more than a bit tired from their recent lack of sleep. Their report to the Congress was due to start in ten minutes.

Kalea was staring idly at the main entrance when a beaming smile burst upon her face. "Moms! Dad!" She rushed up and a second later had Anuhea and Kara locked in a fierce three-way hug. Her sister Mayoni was right behind her and was similarly locked in a deep embrace with Mark and Va'an.

Mayoni turned and realized who else was standing by her side. She turned and was soon lost in the arms of her beloved uncle. "So you all came back," she whispered, "... a day early."

"Yeah, wouldn't miss it..." murmured Leon as he kissed the top of Mayoni's head, enfolding her in his arms and sighing. "Ura and Nalani are here too, should be here in a few minutes... We've heard the medical reports, how both of you have your memories back..."

"It's true."

"How much do you remember?"

"Everything. My first childhood, hiking with you on your first trip to Aina in the spring of 2010, my undergraduate years in Hawaii, my wedding night with Keona, my sharp fears during the 1436 expedition, all my joys and sorrows Uncle Leon... and embarrassments... It's as if they all happened yesterday. Everything is crystal clear." Mayoni gave her uncle a grinning smile. "And how I ever forgot how much I like to tease you, I'll never know..."

Leon smiled in love back at his niece as he caressed her in his hug. "Oh my gosh!" he whispered playfully as he smiled, and then he turned serious. "There're a lot of scary rumors, about what you have been working on these last three days..."

"Yes. It's time for the rumors to end too. I just wish we had better news..."

Kara took over hugging Mayoni next. "I haven't seen you looking this tired since you were Jennifer's and Linda's doctor at the end of 1449..."

Mayoni just sighed in her mother's embrace, nodding her agreement as she leaned her head against her mother's breasts.

A few minutes later the First Speaker of the Congress began the meeting with a brief introduction, and then Havika as senior lab director began the Quantum Lab's report. He yawned and then focused on the audience before him.

" Aloha kakahiaka! ", he sang, the traditional Hopewell morning greeting. "I'm going to give a brief overview of our understanding of slip bubbles, in particular with the time-loop connection that existed between Earth and Aina. I'm then going to have Mayoni and Kalea speak. I also take this time to formally petition the Congress that Mayoni and Kalea be appointed as the Quantum's Lab's senior co-directors, with me as subordinate. I have seen ample evidence over the last three days that their integrated minds are now vastly superior to my own in quantum understanding."